Another World
by fairlystrange
Summary: (Takes place right before the Edolas Arc.) Fairy Tail's three Dragon Slayers get pulled in with the anima, but they do not end up in Edolas like the rest of their guild. Gajeel, Natsu and Wendy are transported to a world known as Remnant and encounter a girl named Ruby Rose and a thief called Roman Torchwhich. Join them as they travel through the world of Remnant!
1. Prolouge

**Hey, I'm back with another fanfic. It's a crossover of Fairy Tail and RWBY, and I'm pretty excited about it. Sorry for not updating my other fanfictions, I'm kind of at a writer's block with them :/ I'll update them really soon, though.  
But for now, enjoy my new fanfiction! **

The wind buffeted their unconsious faces. Nothing broke the eeire silence. Nothing stirred among the ash-like substance that nearly covered their bodies completely.

There was a sudden stir amongst the grey. A pink haired man wobbled upwards, letting out a loud groan. He blinked open his onyx eyes, squinting immediately.

"What's goin' on here?"

He looked around, up and then down, seeing two more figures lying beside his feet. A blue-headed girl lie there, along with a long, black haired man with many piercings. Thinking, the salmon pink haired man stood there wordlessly.

Suddenly, he kicked the side of the black haired man. "Gajeel! You get up now!"

Gajeel's eyes opened immediately. He stood and then leapt at the pink haired man. "You idiot, Natsu!" He snapped. "What was that for?!"

Before the argument could continue, Gajeel noticed their surroundings. His red eyes narrowed as he looked around. "Where the hell are we...?"

A small noise that came from beneath them made them look down. The blunette was stirring, and she sat up and opened her eyes. "Mm? Where are we?"

She stood and brushed off her skirt, her brown eyes filled with worry. "Carla? Anyone?" Distracted from the earlier argument, Natsu looked around and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, where's Happy?"

The three walked around for awhile, searching for their town, guild, anyone. The girl's eyes filled with tears as they had no avail, and stopped and sighed. "Where are we? It's obvious we're not where they are." Natsu turned to her, so they all stopped for a moment or two. "Wendy? Do you have any idea what happned?"

Wendy frowned, thinking. "Um...well, I remember Carla and I coming back from a job, and it being a bright, sunny day. Suddenly the wind picked up, and the sky was filled with dark clouds. Soon, the clouds began to swirl.

"I heard footsteps and turned around, and I saw a man with blue hair and strange clothing approaching. He was called Mystogan..." She recalled, but didn't mention, him looking like a man she once knew.

"Mystogan?" Natsu murmured in awe. "I've always wanted to meet him, or even fight him." Gajeel rolled his eyes. "You want to fight everyone."

Wendy continued before a fight could break out between the two men. "He called what was happening 'Anima'... and he gave me some magic pills that would help me or something. Then there was a flash of light, and I don't remember anything that happened after that."

Gajeel hummed thoughtfully. "Strange," he muttered. Natsu nodded in agreement, seemingly serious for once.

The wind picked up and the atmosphere seeemed to darken, like Wendy had described. The three mages tensed, each facing a different direction. Wendy's eyes widened with fear. Then, as Wendy had said, a flash of blinding light occurred, and then darkness swallowed them, like some monster.


	2. Chapter 1

Complete darkness was all they could see. Nothing bright tried to enter the blackness that enclosed them.

A set of eyes blinked open, and the pink haired man sat up. He rubbed his weary eyes, blinking until they focused. Awe, not again, he groaned inwardly. Then he looked around, a confused expression on his face. "This ain't the same..." He muttered, standing and scratching his head. He looked around some more, seeing Gajeel and Wendy leaning against a brick wall. "And he lives," Gajeel grumbled, pushing off of the wall and walking closer to him. Wendy followed, her eyes wide with worry. "This isn't Magnolia," she murmured, looking around fearfully.

"We know," Gajeel snapped, which earned a glare from Natsu. Gajeel "tched" and turned away, not looking at either of the two. Natsu shook his head, sighing with exasperation. "We don't know where the hell we are," he mumbled. "But we should try to make the best of it, and figure out where we are."

The other two nodded silently, and they began walking aimlessly around. The stars glimmered in the dark sky, but fewer than they were used to. Bright street lights and other strange technology made the starlight and moon look dimmer than normal. "It's a big town," Natsu said lamely, pointing out the obvious.

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass caused the three to jump. A store they had been passing had shards of glass at the foot of one shattered window. A suited man was lying not far from the debris, his jaw and fists clenched as he pushed himself up.

A girl leapt out of the window. Her red cape floated out from behind her, and a large, red scythe glinted in the moonlight behind her. She landed on both feet, turning shaply to the broken window. Her red-black hair fluttered and her striking silver eyes glinted as she swung her massive weapon around and stuck it into the ground. Wendy blinked in awe.

A man with red hair wearing a white suit came into view, behind the shattered window. He took his cigar out of his mouth, sized the girl up through narrowed eyes, and nodded to his men. "Okay," he said, his tone a mixture of surprise and irritation. "Get her."

Three men suited in similar suits that of the man on the ground surrounded the red caped girl. One of them rushed at her with a red sword raised. She tensed, swinging herself at the men and used her legs to knock him down. After doing so, she vaulted herself into the air, and landed neatly on her feet, holding her scythe behind her.

"Should we help her?" Wendy whispered, her eyes locked on the battle. Gajeel shook his head. "We don't need to get involved." Wendy was ready to protest, but the black haired man cut her off with a look. Natsu walked a little ways forward. "We should join in if things get rough."

Surveying the remaining opponenets, she pulled the trigger on the polearm of her sccythe. The recoil of her shots sent her flying through the streets in different directions. During her dash she swung her scythe at one man, sending him flying. She slammed another into the ground before another man aimed his gun at her. Before he could pull the trigger, the caped girl was gone once more.

The sound of her scythe's bullets rang out in the streets. In a flash, knocked him back, and then swept him into the air with a final blow of her scythe. He landed, unconscious, at his boss' feet.

The red haired man looked at each of his men with a look of distain. "Truly worth every cent I paid," he commented wryly. He stepped closer to the silver-eyed girl, dropping his cigar and putting it out with his cane. "Well, Red, it's been fun. Really, it has. But I'm afraid this is where we say our good-byes." As he said that, he pointed his cane at her, the bottom morphing to something like a scope. Suddenly a blast of fire came from the cane, rocketing toward the armed girl.

The girl tensed and was about to shoot off once more when the bullet suddenly hit a different target. The redheaded thief narrowed his eyes at the new-comer. A strange looking, long, black haired man with many piercings stood with his arm before him. His arm was completely made of iron, but then it shifted back to a normal arm. His red, reptile-like eyes glinted as he stared wordlessly back at him. "It ain't nice to shoot at kids," he muttered.

Wendy and Natsu rushed to Gajeel's side, their eyes wide. "I could've done that," Natsu mumbled with much indignance. Gajeel just rolled his eyes.

"Wow! Thank you so much...person! How did you do that, with your arm? It just...changed into an iron rod and then back again? What are you? Some kind of hybrid or something?"

Gajeel ignored her questions, but exchanged a confused glance with the others. Didn't she know what a mage was?

"Well, that was unexpected." The suited thief's voice broke into the silence. He ran torward a ladder that went up to a roof. "Catchya later, Red and...Iron Man!" He grabbed onto the rungs and went up the ladder swiftly. The girl ran after him, her silver eyes serious once more. She placed the bottom of her polearm on the ground, pulled the trigger, and shot off into the air. She landed on the roof, and turned back to the three, gesturing for them with follow.

Deciding not to use their magic, the three hurried up the ladder, and saw the man standing on the edge of the building. "Hey!" The girl shouted at him, holding her scythe before her.

"Persistent pests, aren't you?" He sneered at them.

Suddenly, the wind picked up around them. An aircraft rose up from the ground, and the red haired man hopped in into the ship from the open door. He turned back to them, and took a red crystal-like item from his pocket. "End of the line, kids!" He threw it at their feet, and sent another blast from his cane, aiming for the gem.

"Get down!" The girl cried, holding her scythe out before her. Natsu grinned fiendishly at the bullet, while Gajeel's arm shifted into an iron rod once more. Wendy took position, but her eyes were big with fear.

Suddenly, the four found themselves rescued by a blonde-haired woman. She waved a riding crop out in front of her, making a sheild that deflected the blast. She gave a slight huff, adjusted her glasses, and then swung her arm once more. A trail of lights shot at the airship, causing it to rock in the air.

The white-suited man clenched his teeth as he fought to keep balance against the attack. He managed to stumble to the cockpit, where a mysterious pilot tried to steady the aircraft. "We've got a huntress!" The man shouted over the roar of the engine. The pilot quickly arose from the pilot seat and went to deal with the huntress. The man took her place and steadied the hovering machine.

The blonde huntress directed her riding crop torwards the airship, causing a blast of energy to form a raging storm cloud above the aircraft. She swung her hand back down, making glass shards rain down onto the hovering plane. One pierced the window sheild, almost reaching the thief's head. "Witch!" He growled at the huntress.

The pilot sauntered to the open door on the side of the plane. Most of her body with heavily shadowed, but dress she wore and the high heels told them that they were facing a woman.

The patterns on the woman's dress began to glow a yellow-orange, and she waved an arm, firing a flaming ball at her blonde opponent. Facing the glowing ball calmly the huntress formed a sheild to deflect the attack.

Again the mysterious pilot raised her hand, and a circle appeared below the huntress. Feeling a strong wave of energy, the woman flipped backwards, and watched as the ground exploded where she had stood. "Woah," Natsu murmured, his eyes fixed upon the battle.

She raised her riding crop and, using the debris from the explosion, she formed a spear aimed at the airship. The woman attempted firing multiple fire balls at the spear, but each time it hit, it reformed again. The huntress waved her riding crop once more, and aimed the spear at the cockpit. The man tilted the ship downwards, and the spear barely grazed off the top of the hovercraft. Then, the shadowed pilot used her power to shatter the debris the huntress was using as a weapon.

The girl in red morphed into a rifle, and she fired constantely at the woman. Each bullet was deflected by a mere block of the woamn's hand.

The shadowed waved her right arm and created a half cirlce of sigils around the two. Realizing the danger, Gajeel ran at them, shouting, "Move, you damn idiots!"

Thanks to the black haired mage the two were clear of the explosions. This gave the hovercraft time to escape, and they made their leave. Natsu glared angrily at the airship. "Come back and fight, you cowards!" The blonde huntress sent a glare at the pink-haired boy, who smiled sheepishly back at her.

"You're a huntress!" The girl exclaimed, her silver eyes shimmering with excitement.

The blonde just gave her a blank look, as if to say, "So what?"

"Can I have your autograph?"

 **And that's chapter one! I hope you liked it; and thank you guys, SO MUCH, for the follows and favorites I already have!**


	3. Chapter 2

"This ain't fair. We weren't even involved!"

Natsu glared defiantly at the blonde woman as she paced before them. The bright spotlight shining down them made it feel like an interrogation. Wendy sat stiffly in her chair, timidly looking over at the huntress. Gajeel sat with his eyes closed and his legs propped up on the table. The blonde glared at him, but he took no notice.

"Yeah!" The red-black haired girl exclaimed. "They started it!"

The huntress stopped pacing and faced the four, sighing. "I know. Your hearts were in the right place, so I can't fault you for doing what you thought was right. That's why if it was up to me, I'd send you home with a pat on the back..."

The girl's eyes lit with hope- Gajeel's eyes stayed closed and Natsu began to wonder if his companion was asleep.

"And a slap on the wrist," the woman finished icily. She slapped her riding crop down onto the table, making Wendy and the girl flinch back; the caped girl giving a yelp and Wendy letting out a scared wimper. "But...there is someone who would like to you all."

Gajeel opened his eyes, proving that he had been listening. Natsu's eyes became confused. Could it be someone they knew?

The huntress stepped aside and the door opened, a man with silver hair stepping into the dimly lit room. In his hand was a plate of cookies, making Natsu's stomach rumbled loudly. He leaned closer to the girl, looking at her through teashade glasses. "Ruby Rose," he murmured. "You have silver eyes."

The girl, or Ruby, leaned away from him, seeming more than uncomfortable. "U-um..."

The man straightened once more. "So. Where did learn to do this?" He held up a screen, showing Ruby's amazing fighting skills. Ruby eyed him warily. "S-signal Academy..."

The man looked surprised. "Signal Academy?" He echoed. "They taught you how to use one of the most dangerous weapons designed?"

"Well, one teacher in particular," she explained.

"I see. That makes much more sense." He slid the plate of cookies before her. She eyed it uncertainly, then reached for one. She grabbed one and stuffed it in her mouth. It was pretty good. Before she could even reach for another, Natsu reached for a few and shoved them in his mouth. He grabbed another for Wendy, and Gajeel reached for some, leaving the plate empty. Ruby pouted. "Hey!"

"Showwy," Natsu mumbled. "We haven't eat in forever. We're shtarved."

"Interesting," the man commented, looking at the footage again. "I've only seen one other person being able to do that... a dusty old crow..."

"Oh, that's my Uncle Qrow," Ruby chirped. "He was my teacher at Signal. Before I was complete garabage, but now I'm all like..." She proceeded to make karate sound effects with her mouth and waved her arms around like a ninja.

"And you...," the man said, looking over at the three. "I saw what you were able to do." He gestured to Gajeel. The red eyed man shrugged. "Yeah. So?"

"It really is interesting," the man mused, looking at the footage where Gajeel rescued Ruby from the thief's flying bullet. "I've never seen anyone able to do that. Who are you three?"

"Psh. You think that's cool? You should see what I'm able to do." Natsu's eyes were blazing as he said that, his hands behind his head. The man arched a brow. "You haven't answered my question."

"Gajeel Redfox," Gajeel muttered, still in the same position as before. Wendy looked up from her hands, a small smile on her face. "I'm Wendy Marvel." Natsu stretched his arms, and then gave the man an answer. "Natsu Dragneel."

The man "hmmed". "And do any of you know who I am?"

The three Fairy Tail members didn't answer.

"You're Professor Ozpin," Ruby replied finally. "The headmaster of Beacon Academy." The man nodded his head. "I am. Nice to meet all of you."

A moment of silence passed by before Ruby spoke again. "My older sister is attending there this year." The professor looked over at her, a light smile on his face. "Do you wish to join her?" Ruby was struck dumb by his question. "I-I still have two more years at Beacon." Ozpin shrugged. "It can be arranged. What about you three?"

Natsu and Gajeel exchanged an uneasy glance. What about Fairy Tail? They couldn't just forget about their guild.

"Guys," Wendy whispered, breaking into the silence. "Maybe we can find our guild if we go with them."

That seemed to be the best idea so far. Gajeel turned back and sighed, taking his feet off the table. "Why not," he replied gruffily. Natsu stayed silent; he wasn't sure if it was right...joining a different orginization without the consent of their guild. Wendy was eager to go; she wanted to learn about where they were.

"Then it's settled," Professor Ozpin finished. "You four will be attending Beacon Academy."

Ruby let out a squeal of excitement. "I can't wait to tell Yang!"


	4. Chapter 3

Groan...

Ruby looked over at the two men, her tongue sticking out with disgust. Gajeel and Natsu had their bodies hunched over a trashcan and their faces nearly green with motion sickness.

"You...stole my..." Natsu's words were cut off by another wave of nausea that hit him.

Gajeel didn't reply. He was just as sick and confused. He'd never been this way before. Why now?

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister got into Beacon with me! This is so awesome!" A long, wild-haired blonde squeezed Ruby, a large smile on her face. Ruby, on the other-hand, struggled in her sister's vice-like grasp. "Yang...can't breathe..."

Her sister, Yang, released her from the hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

Ruby shrugged, not meeting her sister's lavender gaze. "Really, sis, it was nothing."

Yang looked at her sister, surprised. "What are you talking about? Everyone will think you're the bee-knees!"

Wendy stood not to far from the two sisters, her brown eyes filled with wonder as she stared down at passing city of Vale. She had never seen a city like this before...neither had she seen such technology. She hummed to herself, her thoughts travelling to her guild. Was Carla okay? Was everyone okay? She felt worry bubble like a spring within her. Would they ever see them again?

"...the robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick..."

The three girls turned to the screen projected on a wall. On one screen was a mugshot of a man with red hair, cuts and bruises on his face, along with the smuggest grin. Wendy's eyes widened. That was the man they had fought the day before!

The image quickly switched back to the newslady Lisa Lavender, who definitiely lived up to her name. Wendy watched the screen intently until it was suddenly interrupted by a new video. A woman with blonde hair and glasses was now projected on the screen.

"Who's she?" Yang asked loudly.

The woman answered the blonde's question directly. "My name is Glynda Goodwhich, and welcome to Beacon."

That's the scary woman who saved us, Wendy mused, promptly turning back to the window. She was still dazzled by the architecture of the city and the lifestyle of the people there. Her thoughts wandered as she stared down below.

A blonde, armored man came rushing through the plane, holding a hand over his mouth. Natsu, who was sitting, dazed, saw him run past. I feel your pain, Natsu groaned inwardly, his stomach giving a gurgle. Gajeel payed no attention, his arms folded over his chest, seemingly calm. The man, however, was not calm on the inside. His stomach churned constantly and his red eyes were shut tightly.

Soon, the airship made its full descent. Wendy's eyes widened by the second as they neared the ground. The ship touched the ground and settled down, the engine releasing a sigh as it did. The door opened, letting in a bright shaft of light. Natsu stood wobbily, then straightening and charging for the outdoors. "Ah! Sweet ground!" He nearly tripped doing so, recieving an eyeroll from Gajeel.

Yang and Ruby exited the aircraft as well, blinking against the bright sunlight. Wendy hopped out after them, gazing around timidly. "Wow," Yang commented. "They sure keep this place in order."

The landscaping of the place was incredible. Not a blade of grass was out of place. The delicately built academy towered above their heads, glinting with the afternoon sun. Wendy blinked, impressed. Natsu was on his knees, gazing around. Gajeel stood, stoic as ever, not paying attention to where they were. He didn't care; he just wanted to get back to their guild.

"Ooh! Look guys, look! That kid's got a collapsable staff! And she has a fire sword!"

Ruby's excited squeals echoed through the air, and she began to rush after them, but her sister grabbed her hood. "Ow. Ow. Ow..."

"Calm down, sis," Yang sighed, releasing her sister.

Natsu stood, also looking at the kids around them. "These guys look decent. I can't wait to brawl with them."

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Can you ever not think about fighting people?"

Yang walked up two the three. "What's up with your head?" She inquired Natsu, messing with his pink hair. "Watch it," he growled, ducking away. "It's always been like this."

"That's weird, bubblegum head."

"I've gotta name. It's Natsu."

Yang ignored him and turned to Gajeel. "And what's with all those piercings? And the red eyes? And the long hair?" She paused, cocking her head. "You emo or somethin'?"

Gajeel clenched his teeth. "Same with Salamander over there," he grunted. Yang then looked down at Wendy. "You seem younger than Ruby... why're you here?"

Wendy felt very self-conscious. "Professor Ozpin invited us," she murmured, not meeting the blonde's gaze. Yang's eyes brightened. "That's so cool! What can you guys do? Where're your weapons?"

Natsu and the others exchanged a glance. It seemed these people had no clue what true magic was. Would they tell them about their powers and use them? "It'll be the best way to survive," Gajeel had said earlier. "We don't know what might happen."

"Well...," Natsu muttered. "We're Dragon Slayers. Raised by dragons, y'know. I'm the Fire Dragon Slayer, Wendy's the Sky Dragon Slayer, and Gajeel is-"

"Iron Dragon Slayer."

Yang remained silent. "Wha?"

 _So they really don't know what we are..._ Gajeel thought with a pang.

"Do you mind showing us?" Ruby chimed in, leaning her head in.

Natsu grinned. "Sure. Watch this!"

Before Gajeel could protest, Natsu inhaled deeply. His cheeks puffed out, and suddenly flames billowed out of his mouth. "Roar of the Fire Dragon!"

"Agh!"

As soon as Natsu's flames weakened, they saw a very scorched girl with luggage scattered around. "Watch it! Look what you've done!"

The girl, blackened with the flames, glared icily over at Natsu. He shrugged. "You're lucky I ain't fighting you."

She clenched her teeth at this and began picking up her luggage. "Ugh, my dust! It's all scattered!" She shook a vial full of red dust around, causing red dust particles to fly around. "This dust is mined and purified by the Schnee Dust quarry; it's not supposed to be thrown around like that!" The fragments tickled Ruby's nose, and she began to sneeze.

The sneeze triggered the unstable cloud of red Dust to explode in her face. The explosion caused the angry girl to drop the vial of dust, and it rolled to the feet of a black haired girl who picked it up.

"Unbelievable!" The girl screamed! "This is exactly what I mean!"

"I'm really, REALLY sorry," mumbled Ruby, who was poking her index fingers togehter nervously. The still-scorched girl took no notice of the girl's apology.

"You complete dolt! What are you even doing here?! Aren't you a little young to attend Beacon?"

"Hey!" Yang cried angrily. "She was invited here, along with these three, by Professor Ozpin! You shut your mouth, princess!"

The ice-themed girl whipped around and glared at Yang, ready to reply with a stinging remark.

"Heiress, actually," a female voice interrupted. The group turned and saw a girl with long black hair with a large black bow in it, striking yellow eyes highlighted with purple eyeshadow, and a pale complextion. She wore a tight-fitted black, buttoned vest with white sleeveless shirt underneath and a coattail. She wore white shorts with black stockings that faded to purple and on her feet were some black, low-heeled boots. Both arms had ribbons wrapped around them, except on her left arm there was a detatched black sleeve and a silver band. She had a black choker on her neck and a weapon plate on her back that held her weapons. In her clutches she had the red vial that the girl had dropped. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers energy propellant in the world."

"Finally," Weiss Schnee gloated. "Some recognition."

"The same company infamous for controversial labor forces and questionable business partners," the girl finished.

"The same company infamous for controversial labor forces and questionable business partners," the girl finished.

Natsu snirked as the heiress stammered out "how dare you" and other nervous remarks. She then inhaled sharply, took her things, and stormed off with a huff.

"I promise to make it up to you!" Ruby called after Weiss, her voice pleading. Sighing, she turned back to the black-haired girl. "Guess I'm not the only one having a bad first day." Her face brightened, looking towards the black-clothed girl. "So, what's your-" She cut off, realizing that the girl had vanished. She sighed, and fell to her knees. "Welcome to Beacon."

"Oh, come one, Ruby. It's just one stupid girl who thinks too highly of herself. You'll get over it."

"If she comes back, we'll give her a reason to never speak to you again," Gajeel said with a smirk.

"Yeah, but I exploded, literally, in her face!" Ruby cried, her silver eyes wide. "I don't want someone to hate me for the rest of the semester!"

"Don't _worry,_ Ruby," Yang sighed, pulling her sister's hood over her head playfully. "We're here, too."

Ruby smiled softly. "Thanks, Yang. I think we should be leaving for the meeting now."

All the students had gathered in the meeting hall, and were waiting for Professor Ozpin to make a speech. Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy stood with Ruby and Yang, and they chatted absently about random things.

"So, Natsu, where do you guys come from?"

Yang's question silenced Gajeel, Natsu, and Wendy. They exchanged a glance, as if to tell each other not to say a word about Fairy Tail. "We...um...come from a country called Fiore," Natsu said slowly. "We recently, um, moved here to train."

"That's cool!" Ruby exclaimed. "Did you go to any training schools?"

"Naw," Gajeel drawled. "We didn't. We don't need to. They wouldn't know what to do with us."

Natsu snickered at this, but a tapping on a microphone caused the crowd of students to fall silent. Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch had come onto the stage, the professor standing at the mic.

"I'll keep this brief..." the professor started. ""You have travelled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you are finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people.

"When I look amongst you, all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will set yourself free of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowlegde can only get you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

Professor Ozpin stepped away from the microphone, allowing Glynda Goodwitch to step up to the mic. "You will all meet in the ballroom tonight," she stated. "That is where you will be sleeping. Tomorrow your initiation will officially begin. Be ready. You are dismissed."

The two left the stage, leaving a rather confused crowd behind. Yang exchanged a glance with Ruby. "He seemed kinda...off."

"Yeah...it was like he wasn't even there," Ruby replied.

"Whatever," Gajeel muttered. "That was a waste of time."

"Let's get to the ballroom," Yang said, beginning to leave. "I wanna beat everyone there so I get the best spot."


	5. Chapter 4

_**Previously on Another World:**_

 _"Let's get to the ballroom," Yang said, beginning to leave. "I wanna beat everyone there so I can get the best spot."_

* * *

The ballroom the students were staying in for the night was truly magnificent, with plenty of chandeliers light the room and a fancy red curtains framing the massive windows. The floors were a glistening hardwood, much unlike Fairy Tail's roughed-up one. Natsu whistled at the sight, while Wendy's eyes were wide with awe. Gajeel, on the other hand, continued to be indifferent. Yang narrowed her eyes at the man; does nothing impress this guy? Gajeel chose to ignore the blonde's annoying stare.

As everyone began settling down for the night, the three mages realized they had nothing else on them. Wendy gazed longingly at the pillows and blankets everyone else was laying down to relax on. Her companions were also looking a tad envious until Ruby waved them over. "I assumed you wouldn't have much on you by way you randomly appeared yesterday," the girl began with a smile. "So, I brought along some extra bedding." With flourish, the young huntress extracted some extra blankets and pillows from her bag. Eyes wide with surprise, the three thanked Ruby, touched by her thoughtfulness. She didn't even know them and still sought to make them comfortable. Her sister's lavender eyes shone with pride as she ruffled the girl's dark hair. Wendy smiled brilliantly at her new friends and instantly began spreading out the items when Ruby invited them to stay near her.

. . .

"It's like a big slumber party!"

The blonde brawler flopped down onto her sleeping bag, gazing around at the student-filled room. Beside her, Ruby was writing while Wendy watched and Natsu and Gajeel were already half-asleep. Being in a different world was taking a toll on their bodies, especially their magical power. Gajeel had made it a priority for the group to find out if this world carried ethernano as abundantly as Earthland. If there wasn't enough for them to function properly, they would have to find a new source of energy.

"I don't think dad would approve of all the boys, though," Ruby mused, eyes still locked on her work. Wendy chuckled when Yang purred an "I know I do" while raking her eyes over a sea of finely-toned men. Then her gaze landed on a boy in a onesie and all the lust in her purple orbs faded. Turning back to face her sibling, she asked, "So, Ruby, whatcha writing?"

The girl paused to look up at Yang. "To my friends back at Signal. I promised to tell them about everything that happened here."

"Aw, that's so cute!" Yang crooned, receiving a pillow in her face at her remark. "Shut up," Ruby groaned, going back to her writing. "I didn't get to bring my friends to school with me. It's weird not knowing many people here."

Timidly, Wendy interjected the conversation. "You know me. And Yang, Natsu, and Gajeel." Her brown eyes were gentle as she smiled softly. "And I'm sure you'll make more friends; you're a really nice person."

Ruby blushed a little at the younger girl's praise, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Thanks, Wendy," she murmured gratefully. "I hope you're right."

"Of course she is," Yang insisted loudly, propping herself up on her elbows. "Look, it's only been one day. Trust me, you've got friends all around you!" The blonde gave her younger sister a wink, earning a tiny giggle from her. "You just haven't met them yet."

As if on cue, Ruby heard the snap of a lamp turning on. She sat up and looked towards the sound's source, eyes falling onto the girl with the bow from earlier. Wendy followed her gaze before glancing at her own friends, who had been passed out for a good ten minutes now.

The black-haired girl was seated with her back leaning on the wall, one hand holding a book while she read. "That girl," Ruby mused as she gazed at her.

"You know her?" Yang questioned, suddenly wondering why Ruby had been so doubtful over making friends.

Ruby shook her head almost sadly. "Not really, but she saw what happened this morning and left before I could say anything." Her older sister's lips morphed to a wide grin and immediately hoisted the smaller girl up. "Well, now's your chance!" Ruby protested with wide eyes and Wendy couldn't suppress a laugh. She stayed back while the brawler dragged the younger girl to the stranger, preferring to stay out of the way. Admittedly she was a little daunted by the idea of conversing with people from a strange universe, so different from her own. Suddenly feeling small, the dragon slayer tucked herself into the blankets provided, the aching longing for her nakama growing.

* * *

. . .

* * *

An elderly man standing by a large window seemed almost like a statue, completely still as his eyes fixed upon his kingdom. He was gripping the windowsill tightly, knuckles turned white as if in a rage. Though he spoke not a word, only staring idly outside, his thoughts racing about in his mind.

Sudden footsteps in the halls brought King Faust out of his haze, though he did not move. The door to his room swung open and in walked the commander of the Second Magical Warfare Division in the Royal Military, Erza Knightwalker. She did not need to announce herself; the old man was aware of her presence. The stony-faced woman's chin was raised confidently as she spoke, voice steady and clear as well. "Your Majesty, there have been sightings of Fairy Tail members recently. I've been trying to track them down, but they have moved their Guild again." There was an annoyed edge to her voice at the last part of her sentence. The guild had teleported before her eyes just as she was able to hunt them down. She did not mention this, however, for surely the king would grow upset with her. "Anyhow," the woman continued as she drew herself from her thoughts. "I hear that the Anima was successful and Earthland Fairy Tail has been absorbed into a lacrima."

"What you have heard is true, Fairy Hunter," answered a new voice. The warrior's gaze flitted to the shadows, where a small, hunchback man emerged. A wicked smile played on his lips as he spoke, "Now Edolas doesn't need to fret over magic power for the time being." A garbled laugh escaped his lips. "Our plan has been set into motion."

A small smirk broke Erza's mouth as Byro affirmed her beliefs. "This is excellent news," she murmured before casting her eyes back to the king. He continued to be still, but she noticed his own face twisting in a maniacal grin. This is what they have been waiting for. Finally, their scheme would be finally ready to be unleashed. "Thank you, Commander, for your report," spoke Faust in a dismissive tone. "Keep up the fine work."

The Fairy Hunter gave a nod before turning on her heel and exiting. Byro waited until her footsteps faded into nothingness before approaching the king, the same evil smile curled on his face. "Everything is going as you wanted, Your Grace. We will have what you want in no time."

A laugh shook Faust's shoulders as he continued to gaze outside. It was the laugh of an unstable man, an insane one at that. Byro's sneer widened as he stood at the king's side, joining him in staring down the city below.

* * *

. . .

* * *

Going to the locker room the next morning to was pointless to the three dragon slayers, since they didn't bear any physical weapons. Natsu and Gajeel sat in complete boredom on one of the benches the room provided, while Wendy tagged along Ruby and Yang. The blunette idled happily beside the older girls, admiring the scythe Ruby was pulling from her locker. She had never laid eyes on such a complicated weapon before; not even one of Erza's swords looked so extravagantly complex.

"You seem awfully chipper this morning," commented Yang to her sibling, approaching after adjusting her gauntlets. Observing the dark-haired huntress Wendy could agree with the brawler; Ruby seemed to be in a much better mood after last night. Smiling back at her sister, Ruby turned and caressed her Crescent Rose. "Yep! No more awkward small talk or 'getting to know you' stuff. Today I get to let my sweetheart do this talking."

Yang's grin faltered and took on a rather serious expression. "Well, remember Ruby, you're not the only one going through initiation." She paused to gesture to everyone around them. "If you want to grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people and work together." Ruby leaned backwards in an annoyed groan, placing her scythe back into her locker. "Ugh, you sound like dad!" Wendy chuckled at this, then suddenly felt a pang of sadness in her stomach as she thought of her own family once more. She wouldn't be seeing them any time soon… her now sorrowful eyes drifted to the other dragon slayers. They caught her gaze and rushed over, concerned for their younger friend.

"What's wrong, Wendy?" Natsu asked, his worried eyes searching hers as he crouched down. Gajeel stood at his side, arms crossed as he said nothing, only looking down at the blunette. Yang glared at him once more, exasperated by his lack of care for his friend's feelings. The older man returned the brawler's glare; as if she knew how to make Wendy feel better. Meeting his angry gaze with her own the blonde remained silent, not wanting to get into an argument in front of Ruby.

"I miss our family," the small girl whimpered, tears filling her large brown orbs. Though she tried to keep them from spilling, it was difficult as her thoughts were flooded of images of her friends. Lucy, Erza, Levy, Mira, Happy, Charle.. it was all too much for the young girl's mind. A sob escaped her as she broke down, concerned eyes beginning to drift to the scene.

Natsu's jaw clenched unhappily at the sight of Wendy's sorrow and he rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Wendy, we'll find them." A warning stare from Gajeel told him to keep his voice low; Yang and Ruby's eyes were wide with curiosity. "I promise."

The grieving girl's sob lightened as she wiped her eyes and sniffled. Meeting the pinkette's gaze she nodded quietly, doing her best to calm herself. She spotted people beginning to gather when they noticed the strange, upset girl.

"Why is she crying?" A sharp, high-pitched voice startled the group and Ruby's face went paler than usual. "Uh oh," she whispered as Weiss shoved herself between she and Yang. The blonde shot a furious glare at the heiress, who paid no attention to the angry girl. Her icy eyes only narrowed at Wendy and Natsu, assessing the situation. "Isn't she a little too young to be here?"

Gajeel was the one to snap back at the ignorant huntress. "Ain't you a little too prissy to be a fighter?" Weiss' eyes widened, obviously offended, opening her mouth to shoot back a remark until the man stopped her. "Mind your own business, Princess," he growled. "She's perfectly fine without you comin' around and tellin' her that she doesn't belong here. Professor Ozzy or whatever invited her."

Beyond peeved, the ice-themed girl corrected, "Professor Ozpin," before whirling around and storming off. Natsu gave the piercing-studded man a toothy grin while Ruby almost cried with joy. Yang appeared shocked by Gajeel's defense of the younger girl; he sent her a triumphant smirk. Wendy drew away from Natsu and threw her arms around the iron dragon slayer, tears returning as happy ones. Now it was his turn to be surprised, though he accepted the embrace with an awkward pat on the blunette's head. Natsu straightened up and gave Gajeel a nod of approval when a voice suddenly rang through the room.

"Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

Realizing what the announcer at just said, Ruby hurried to retrieve her Crescent Rose before returning to the group, who were beginning to exit the locker room. Wendy finally released Gajeel from the grateful hug and walked beside the older boys, looking much more content that before. Ruby walked beside Yang, of course, giving Wendy a troubled look before looking on ahead. As they left the place they spotted the blonde guy from yesterday with his back against a set of lockers. His face was downcast as he rested there, looking unwilling to continue on with everyone else. Yang smirked at him, having overheard the conversation he was having with two girls. "Havin' some trouble there, Ladykiller?" The armored boy sent her a contemptuous until Ruby approached and helped him up.

"I don't understand," he groaned as he allowed the girl to help him up. "My dad said all women look for is confidence." Natsu let out a laugh at this, also earning a glare from the student. "Where did I go wrong?"

"'Snow Angel' probably wasn't the best start," Yang pointed out as the boy finally stood, practically leaning on Ruby. The smaller girl sighed and urged him forward, saying, "C'mon Jaune, let's go." Everyone proceeded to follow after the two, on the way to begin their first adventure.

* * *

 **After about two years, Another World is back for another update!**

 **Originally, I hadn't wanted to continue this story, as I felt there were too many flaws and would be boring to write. However, now that I've looked back at it and developed more thorough ideas for this plot, I find it more interesting and fun to write about. I'm really excited to keep this one going, although now I'm not to sure about my other crossover, Team ENGL, but we'll see. Thank you to everyone who sticks around to read this!**

 **To new readers, don't forget to follow, favorite, and/or review! Give me suggestions, critiques; I love it when I see you all get deeper into the plot.**

 **Until next time,**

 **fairlystrange.**


	6. Chapter 5

The bunch of students were definitely not expecting their initiation to go this way.

They were all standing on a cliff, hence the name of the location they were told to gather at. Facing them was Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch, each stern as they stared the trainees down. The tall man was looking rather annoyed by Gajeel, who was standing with his arms crossed and eyes closed, as if he couldn't be bothered by the importance of the task at hand. _There he goes again,_ Yang thought with an irritated glance at the dark-haired man.

Deciding not to push it, Ozpin began addressing the students before him. "For years you have trained to become warriors. And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Taking a look behind the two instructors, you could observe the place Ozpin mentioned, a vast, green woodland just below the cliff. Natsu arched a brow at this, wondering just how they were to get down there.

The suited man stepped back to let Glynda come forward, as it was her turn to speak. Wendy couldn't help but feel intimidated by the huntress' sharp green stare. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignments of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion." Gajeel opened one red eye as she began speaking, vaguely interested on how this whole thing would work. The idea of initiation was odd to the three, who hadn't needed to be initiated into Fairy Tail in any special way. Well, for two of them at least. Ruby's silver eyes sparked eagerly, perking up to what Glynda would say next.

"Each of you will be given teammates… today." A bewildered whimper came from the red-caped girl.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." Another distressed noise emitted from Ruby, unwilling to accept these instructions. Who here besides Yang did she work well with?! Casting an uncertain gaze around she concluded that maybe she stood a chance if she worked with Jaune, Yang, or Wendy- she wasn't sure about Natsu or Gajeel. The student screwed her eyes shut, praying that she would end up with one of those three.

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

A collective, shocked gasp rose from the crowd at Ozpin's words. The fate of their time at Beacon rested on this initiation; everyone was wary of who they would be partnered with. Wendy and Ruby looked especially frightened. _Maybe I'll close my eyes until I smell someone familiar,_ thought the blunette anxiously, not wanting to be stuck with anyone she didn't know.

"After you've partnered up," continued the white-haired professor. "Make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way." His gaze darkened as he informed the students of the dangers they could face in the forest. "Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die."

A chill went down Natsu's spine at Ozpin's final warning.

A nearby Jaune let out a nervous laugh.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation. But, our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

The same blonde boy raised his hand timidly, hesitant to ask a question. "Yeah, um, sir-"

Ozpin didn't let him finish. "Good! Now, take your positions."

Given the fact that they were standing on a cliff ledge and were supposed to reach the forest below, Gajeel assumed they would be launched. Natsu grinned, ready to face the challenge. Wendy whimpered nervously.

Jaune persisted on getting his question answered; he was a little clueless as to what was happening. "Uh, sir? I've got, um, a question." The first to be catapulted was Weiss, though the armored boy still seemed eager to have a final answer from Ozpin.

"So, this landing strategy thing, uh, w-what is it?" More students continued to be vaulted off the cliff. "You're like, dropping us off or something?"

At last it was Natsu's turn. His grin widening as he was launched, feet catching fire as he faced downwards, speeding straight for the canopy. _It would've been nice to have Happy around for this,_ the pinkette mused, but didn't let that get him down. _I guess I've fallen from heights greater than this before. I'll be fine._ Sure enough, as he broke through the tree branches and caught a tree trunk to spiral down, he was completely uninjured as he stood victorious. Snickering triumphantly, the dragon slayer peered at the sky, squinting to see who would come down next.

Back on the cliff, Ozpin finally answered Jaune's question. "No. You will be falling."

The color from the huntsman's face drained. "Oh, I see. So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?"

Exasperation was evident on the professor's features. "No, you will be using your own landing strategy." _As said before._

Gajeel was next. For once emotion broke his stoic face; his lips curled to an energized smile. "Iron Dragon's Scales!" The shout alerted the mage's transformation, his skin turning to complete iron with the pattern of scales etched in. His plan was to hit the ground directly; almost nothing could hurt him while he was in this state. After a few moments his body slammed into the dirt, though he felt no pain. Smirking, the dragon slayer morphed back to his original state before heading deeper into the woods.

"Uhh… yeah." Jaune still seemed unable to accept the fact that they were basically being thrown into the air and figure out a way to land without dying. Two people down from him, Yang winked at her sister before putting on a pair of sunglasses and was launched upwards. Ruby smirked back at her, finally feeling ready to face the obstacles that lie ahead as she, too, was hurled into the air. Jaune, unaware of his oncoming fate, continued to question the instructors. "So, um, what exactly is a landing strategYY-"

The unprepared student's words became a scream as he was catapulted towards the sky, flailing like a beached fish. With a sigh, Ozpin turned around to watch as all the students flew through the air before Wendy was finally launched. A small "eep" escaped her as she did so and wished that her Exceed, Carla, was here to save her. Though she knew that wouldn't be possible and would have to rely on her own strength to reach the ground safely. Managing to turn herself around, she filled her lungs and mouth with air and released it, the force of her Sky Dragon's Roar sending her faster down to the earth. Bracing herself, she cast an Armor Enchantment so when she hit the ground, it wouldn't do much damage.

Though meeting the ground at full force was still painful, Wendy knew she could be in a much worse condition. Releasing a shaky breath, the small mage stood and brushed herself off. She was also beginning to feel the effects of her magic drain, rather shocked since only two spells normally didn't affect her so much. Still, she forged on, going by her original plan, the blunette decided to keep her head down and avoid anyone's eye contact unless it was Natsu, Gajeel, Yang, or Ruby. The thought of having anyone else as her partner was scary to Wendy and she preferred it not happen at all.

Elsewhere, Ruby Rose was firing constantly into the air with the rifle feature on her scythe, the recoil of the shots slowing her descent. As she came to a tree, she used the blade of her weapon to curve around a thick branch and vault herself towards the ground. Weiss was using glyphs to basically hop her way down, while a man with a long, dark ponytail used the sickle-like addition on his pistols to spiral his way down a trunk. Yang, on the other hand, was falling similar to Ruby, using her gauntlets to boost herself through the sky. Eventually, she allowed herself to dip through the canopy, propelling herself off of the trees until she rolled to a stop on the forest floor. A girl with a fiery red ponytail and Romanesque armor held a shield before her as she broke through some trees with ease, quickly coming to a halt on a large tree branch. Aiming with her sniper she looked for a certain blonde boy, morphing her gun back into a spear as soon as she spotted him. The warrior hurled the weapon at the huntsman and caught him by the hood so that he stuck to a tree safely. A faint "thank you" met her after a moment, to which she replied with, "I'm sorry!"

* * *

. . .

* * *

Ruby landed with a thud, one knee and hand to the ground as stuck a nearly perfect landing. Without a moment wasted she was back on her feet, racing through the trees while calling, "Yang? Yaaaang?!" The girl was determined to find her sister above anyone else, convinced that if she didn't, she would surely fail. Ending up with someone she wouldn't like or didn't like her would prove disastrous. She began running through a list of possible people besides Yang she could team up with in her mind. _There's always Jaune. He's nice. He's funny! I don't think he's very good in a fight, though. Oh! What about Blake? So mysterious, so calm. Plus she likes books! Well, then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold a conversation with her._ Her face brightened a little at her next options. _Wendy! The girl from that place… 'Fiore', right? She's so sweet and so cute! I still can't believe Professor Ozpin let her in… she seems so young. I'm sure she and I would get along… I wonder what kind of things she can do, or if she's any good. There's also her friends, Natsu and Gajeel, but I hardly know them. Gajeel kind of scares me, too._

Once again, a frown thinned Ruby's lips. _If none of them work out, who else do I know in this school? There's Yang, Jaune, Blake, Wendy, Natsu, Gajeel, and…_

The rose-themed girl skidded to a stop as someone came into view. The person turned sharply at the sound, narrowing her cold eyes at the girl who had just appeared behind her. The two stared at each other for a moment, assessing the situation.

Then Weiss turned away. Ruby's eyes widened, hurt, as she called out, "Wait, where are you going?" The heiress ignored her classmate's protests, continuing to walk onwards. "We're supposed to be teammates," Ruby pouted while scuffing the ground with her heel.

Forcing herself through some bushes, Weiss winced as thorns dug hungrily into her skin. She continued to brush the annoying, barbed plants away until she came to the foot of a tree. Above came the muttering of Jaune, who was still hanging from Pyrrha's spear. "Ugh, come on you stupid… urg, come on…"After a few moments of struggling, the armored boy finally noticed Weiss with a sheepish wave to the girl. She looked slowly upwards, any hope in her eyes dissolving as she evaluated her choices. Suffer with Ruby, or suffer with Jaune. Almost immediately making a decision, she turned back around, not caring about the brambles tangling at her clothes as she hurried to get away from the boy. Ruby was still where the ice-themed girl had left her, to no one's surprise. "By no means does this make us friends," Weiss snapped at her now teammate, who lit up as soon as she was grabbed by the hood. "You came back!"

"Hey, wait! Come back! Who's gonna get me down from here?!" Jaune waved his arms around helplessly as he watched the two girls disappear from sight. Groaning in defeat, he let his arms drop to his sides while feeling sorry for his situation. As if sent by an angel, the same red-haired woman who had previously saved him appeared below, calling, "Jaune? Do you… have any spots left on your team?"

The boy crossed his arms ruefully. "Very funny," he muttered, though the smile on his face betrayed his attitude.

. . .

Now a little ways off, Weiss was rushing ahead of her partner, doing her best to keep a move on while Ruby lagged behind. "What's the hurry?" The caped girl queried, earning an eyeroll from Weiss she didn't see. "I will not let my mission be delayed because you're too slow. I swear, if I get a bad grade because of your- What the?"

In a flash, Ruby was in front of her path, making a smug face. "I'm not slow, see? You don't have to worry about me!"

"When did..?"

"Weiss, just because I don't exactly know how to deal with people doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with monsters. You're about to see a whole different side of me today, Weiss!" She threw her arm around the shocked girl's shoulder. "And after it's all over, you're gonna be like… 'Wow, that Ruby girl is really, really cool… and I want to be her friend." With those final words, Ruby disappeared again, leaving behind a flurry of red rose petals.

Waving some of the petals away, Weiss shouted impatiently, "You may be fast but you still excel at wasting time!" Only the rustling of leaves met her in reply, making the girl rather uncomfortable. "Ruby?"

Still nothing.

"...Ruby?"

The rustling became more intense. Weiss' heart rose to her throat as a low growling began and a large Beowolf revealed itself from behind the bushes. "Ruby!" Weiss cried in one final attempt at locating her teammate, but only the Grimm answered with a deafening roar.

* * *

. . .

* * *

"Natsu!"

The pink-headed slayer spun around, wide eyes landing on the familiar form of Gajeel. Relief glimmered briefly through his dark gaze before he grinned and headed towards the piercing-studded man. "Finally, a familiar face!" Natsu cried, clapping his now partner on the back, his choice of words causing Gajeel to frown. "Have you already met up with someone?"

The joy on the fire mage's face faltered as he answered sheepishly, "..maybe. I just… didn't wanna be with them." A defensive look replaced the guilty one, crossing his arms over his chest. "They looked weak anyways, and I didn't wanna be stuck with a weak partner."

Arching a brow, Gajeel wasn't sure if he was supposed to feel flattered or not. "Whatever, let's just hope we don't get in trouble because of you." Though Natsu appeared not to care as he gave a shrug in return and ventured off along the path. Sighing, the black-haired man trailed after him, almost wishing he'd been stuck with someone else. With a pang he thought about Wendy and hoped was alright. He knew how timid she could be around strangers.. especially since they were ones from a completely different world.

"Natsu? Gajeel?"

 _Speak of the devil,_ Gajeel grumbled to himself, betraying the relief he felt at hearing the younger girl's voice. Turning around, the two men spotted Wendy among the trees, brown eyes wide with terror that made their hearts drop. _I hope she hasn't encountered anything dangerous,_ Natsu thought before hurrying towards his friend.

"I'm so glad it's you guys," Wendy breathed, eyes brimming with happiness. "I was terrified that some monsters were out there to get me, but thank goodness it's not.." The girl's tiny body shuddered at the thought of the massive Grimm she had spotted while she was traveling along the path. The creature had been staring down a familiar white-haired heiress and looked ready to attack, but Wendy had been too scared to go help and instead ran off.

Natsu was comforting his friend when he suddenly bristled, pupils dilating as he sensed a dark presence nearby. The other two noticed it as well, tensing as they searched for the creature that was obviously watching them from beyond. Wendy choked back a cry as an immense, bear-like creature emerged from behind a cluster of trees. Gajeel let out a low growl before his arm became an iron sword, while Natsu's fist lit with flames in preparation to ward off the monster.

With an ear-piercing roar, the Grimm charged at the three, paws thundering and jaws snapping. Leaping up to meet it, Natsu's fiery punch met its muzzle while Gajeel slashed at its body. Behind them, Wendy casted a spell upon her teammates for support. As the mages kept attacking, the Ursa staggered back, snarling in pain as blows came one after another. Its rage building, the bear waited until the men were close enough to hurl backwards. Their backs met a tree as it tossed them away, jaws clenched in pain as they staggered back up. Taking notice of the younger student, the monster hurtled at Wendy, who was unprepared for the Grimm's attack. Brown eyes screwing shut in panic, the mage waited for the final blow to strike.

The blow never came. Blinking open her eyes, Wendy laid her eyes on the bear that was now dead at the edge of the clearing. She glanced around for Natsu and Gajeel, assuming they had killed it, but the two men looked just as perplexed. A sudden rustling of bushes caught their attention and a familiar blonde appeared, wearing a smug grin on her face as she blew the smoke out from her gauntlets.

"Three of you and still couldn't take out an Ursa? That's kind of disappointing."

Gajeel's shocked eyes became furious as he gazed at Yang, who stared back triumphantly. Beside him, fire swirled around Natsu's arms, challenging the arrogant brawler before another figure appeared behind her. The girl's strikingly yellow gaze quieted the pinkette as she came to stand beside her partner. Looking the girl up and down, Wendy recognized her as the girl Ruby and Yang had approached the night before.

"Yang," the black-haired girl's voice was soft but firm as she warned the blonde huntress. Said woman's eyes rolled in annoyance, though the smile she sent to her partner and the group she had just rescued told them she wasn't bothered by the chiding. "Thank me later," she teased before a rumbling cut her off. The six students froze in unison as they listened, beginning to feel the oncoming doom falling upon them.

A pack of about four Ursai burst into the clearing, snarling and roaring with rage at the sight of the warriors. "They must be upset about their fallen friend," the girl with the bow muttered as she drew her weapon. With a smirk, Yang readied her gauntlets while the mages began taking their own stances. _We should've been able to take that one down on our own,_ Natsu grumbled to himself as he began to understand what Wendy had realized earlier- their magical energy would not be easily replenished or stored on this planet. The three were already feeling the weary tug on their bodies, even though they have hardly used much power. _We have to find a new source of energy and soon._

Wendy rolled away from the furious beast that was lashing at her, a terrified look in her eyes. Being younger than the rest and her experience less, her magic was depleting quickly. Seeing his friend's struggle, Natsu came forward and knocked the bear away from the blunette. There was a dangerous glint in his onyx eyes as he shouted, "Fire Dragon's !" The attack hit the Ursa directly, burning through its fur and flesh as the flames rippled over its body. The slayer turned back and nailed the animal in the jaw with his foot, nearly knocking it out before Gajeel came around and sliced its head clean off. The iron mage grinned at the surprised expression on a certain blonde's face before whirling around and punching another monster in the face.

Tearing her gaze away from the fight, Yang faced her own set of Ursa. As the creatures rushed at her, she dove to the left, easily avoiding its vicious claws. The brawler's Ember Cecilias came to life, just in time for her to dodge another incoming attack.

The creature lunged for the blonde, who had predicted the attack. Smirking, the girl drew her fist back, firing bullets into the Ursa's exposed stomach before plunging her fist into it. It fell onto its back while its friend swiped its massive paw at Yang, which she barely missed.

Her first attacker was already back on its feet, charging for the blonde once more. She ducked its first swing, backflipping away as the animals attempted to crush their opponent by throwing themselves at her. Pleased with her ability to avoid the monsters, Yang gave a laugh. "Wow, you guys couldn't hit the broad side of a…"

The girl trailed off as she watched a strand of her golden hair flutter to the ground, sliced off by the Ursa's razor-sharp claws.

Yang's purple eyes blazed red with rage at the sight of the tiny piece of hair. "You… you monsters!" In a flash, the huntress flew at the bears, focusing particularly on the one who had given her a haircut. Her fists pummeled the helpless creature, cursing it as she gave it a powerful final blow. The Ursa skidded away from the blonde in a trail of flames and didn't move again.

As expected, the other Grimm came charging back at Yang. The warrior faced it and snarled, eyes still an alarming shade of red. "You want some, too?!" She screeched in pure fury. "Come on!"

Before it could even make its first attack, the Ursa froze and then toppled to the ground. A familiar blade stuck out from its back, giving an explanation for the now dead animal.

Blake, Yang's partner, tugged on the ribbon that attached to her weapon, causing it to snap out of the creature and back into her grasp. She sent a smirk over to her teammate, whose raging state had faded back to her usual one. "I could've taken him," the brawler sniffed before turning back to face more enemies. However, it looked like the others had everything under control. Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel were dealing with the final enemy and doing well. The two huntresses had turned around just in time to witness Natsu hurl a nasty-looking punch at the Ursa's spine, sending it staggering backwards before it finally collapsed and moved no more. Each member of the team of three looked worn, panting heavily as their magical energy continued to deplete.

Blake frowned at their weary state, wondering why they looked that way. She exchanged a concerned glance with Yang before approaching them with a smile. "Nice work," the girl complimented while looking them up and down. Natsu gave her a weak grin in return before helping Wendy to her feet. The younger student staggered, causing Yang to reach out and catch her as well. Her purple eyes were anxious as she asked what was wrong.

"Our magical power is draining real fast," answered Natsu, letting Wendy lean on him. "There isn't enough energy for us to function properly here.." His explanation was cut off when Gajeel glared at him, making him realize he said too much. Blake and Yang's gazes were perplexed, wondering what "magical power" was.

"Magic? You mean aura?" Yang leaned towards the three, eyes suspicious. Gajeel huffed irritably, responding with a gravelly "of course". However, the Fairy Tail mages had no idea what the brawler was talking about.

* * *

. . .

* * *

Weiss slid to a half, a good few feet away from the Grimm that decided to attack her. The white-haired girl straightened her posture, drawing her rapier while sizing the Beowolf up. _Remember your training,_ she told herself, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. _Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward… not that far!_ The heiress closed her eyes briefly, slowing her breathing even further while waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Her arms folded together, the huntress shot forward, blue eyes narrowed as she zeroed in on the monster. Before she could even reach it, her partner finally decided to show up, taking her target by slicing right through its abdomen with her scythe. As Weiss stumbled backwards in shock, her arm swung around and created a fire among the trees with her weapon. Ruby, who was looking smug, suddenly snapped around as soon as she smelled smoke. Distracted, the beast saw the perfect opportunity to attack, striking the caped girl and causing her to stumble into Weiss.

"Watch it!" The angry girl hissed, whirling around to glare at Ruby with flushed cheeks. "You attacked out of turn! I could have killed you!"

The ornery girl only rolled her eyes while the Beowolf snarled and leaped at the huntresses. Prepared to meet the attack, Ruby readied her Crescent Rose before a loud cracking sound began. They all searched for the noise's source, which turned out to be a flaming, falling tree. Seeing the danger, Weiss panicked and grabbed Ruby by the arm to drag her away. "We have to move! Now!"

The pair ran until they could no more, gasping for breath as they came

to a stop. After a few moments, Ruby turned on Weiss, silver eyes flashing with anger as she spoke. "What was that for? That would've been easy!"

The girl's partner returned her reproachful gaze. "Maybe if you had showed more caution with your timing, I wouldn't have set the forest ablaze!"

Ruby continued to glower at Weiss. "What's that supposed to mean?" She demanded.

Weiss, giving a peeved puff, finally straightened her back as she replied, "I'm just surprised that someone who talks so much converses so little in battle."

"Well, I'm sorry you need my help to win a fight!" Ruby yelled in return, fists clenched. "I'm fine on my own!"

Weiss' piercing eyes narrowed mockingly at her partner. "Well, congratulations on being the strongest _child_ to sneak your way into Beacon, bravo." Satisfied with her final statement, the heiress spun away with a huff without waiting for a response. Ruby watched her storm away before hefting an irritated groan and using her weapon to slice through a tree trunk out of frustration. Though she longed to find someone else, the rose-themed girl trailed after her teammate, unaware of the oddly large, black feather fluttering down from above.

* * *

. . .

* * *

Pyrrha pushed aside a swath of bushes with her shield, clearing the path for Jaune and herself as they continued their search of the relics they were meant to discover. Somewhere in the distance, the boy heard explosions, causing his eyes to widen. "Did you hear that?" He asked the redhead in a hushed, wary tone. The girl's head swung around, looking calm as ever as she gazed past him. "Gunfire. It seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy."

Less than assured, Jaune could only send her an anxious smile in reply.

As the huntress continued to push through the thicket, one of the branches she had swept back ricocheted in Jaune's face. Squawking, the blonde stumbled backwards and ultimately fell onto his backside. His grunts of pain turned Pyrrha around, a concerned look in her green gaze as she realized what happened. "Jaune! I'm sorry!" Said man smiled sheepishly in reply, a little embarrassed at his clumsy tendencies. A small nick in his cheek caught his partner's attention. As she approached, he waved a hand at her, insisting he was okay. He finally stood back up as Pyrrha took a step back. Her stare was curious as she examined his face.

"Why didn't you active your aura?"

Jaune became perplexed by her question. "Huh?"

"Your aura," Pyrrha pressed, confused by his befuddlement. A frown crossed her features as he said, "Gesundheit."

"Jaune, do you know what an aura is?" She searched his gaze intently and her beliefs were confirmed when he blushed and stammered that he did. "Aura is the manifestation of our soul," the redhead explained and didn't miss the relieved look on her friend's face flash by. "It bears our burdens and shields our hearts. Have you ever felt like you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?"

"Uh, yeah."

"With practice, our aura can be our shield. Everyone has it. Even animals. However," she paused, eyes now darkening. "The monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of Grimm. The manifestation of anonymity. They are the darkness and we are the light."

Understanding was evident in Jaune as he flashed a grin. "Right. That's why we fight them."

Pyrrha nodded a little, though she continued her little speech. "It's not about why, it's about knowing. Understanding both dark and light helps us manifest our aura. Everyone has some of both. By baring your soul outwards as a force, you can deflect harm. All of our tools and equipment are conduits for aura. You project yourself _and_ your soul with fighting."

"It's like a force-field!" Jaune blurted, blue eyes shining with a childlike awe. The huntress couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, if you want to look at it that way. Suddenly, she came forward, only inches away from his face. The blonde grew red at her proximity.

"Now, close your eyes and concentrate," Pyrrha ordered, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. Jaune did as he was told and nervously listened to his partner, whose eyes suddenly dilated. Miraculously, a strange red glow surrounded the girl, while a white one formed around the boy. Her voice eerily distant, Pyrrha began speaking once more.

"For it is passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound in death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee." Clearly drained from her task, the redhead bent down and inhaled deeply, alarming Jaune. "Pyrrha?"

"It's alright, I used my aura to unlock yours, but the energy that protects you now is your own." She watched as the scar on the huntsman's cheek slowly faded. "You have a lot of it."

* * *

 **This story is so fun to write. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I like writing it.**

 **Hopefully I'll start on _Team ENGL_ again soon, though I want to focus on this and TINYTS. **

**Thank you all for your support! If you're an old or new reader, don't forget to follow, favorite, and/or review!**

 **Until next time,**

 **fairlystrange.**


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